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Perth

The heritage of Perth is easy to trace owing to the number of interesting historical sites within walking distance of each other.

Its position on the River Tay ensured that Perth became a busy trading port which still has a bustling harbour, the only inland harbour in Britain. In years gone by, salmon and wool were major exports from Perth, while claret was imported from Bordeaux in France. Between the High Street and South Street is St John's Kirk, still standing on its original site. It was founded in 1126, though most of the present church dates from the 15th century. In 1559 firebrand preacher John Knox gave one of his trademark sermons, inspiring the good folk of Perth to destroy the local monasteries. The church gave the town its original name of 'St John's town', a name upheld in the local football team, St Johnstone.

Eating Out

Perth is quite packed with pubs and restaurants to suit all tastes. Restaurant-wise, quite a few come with glowing references from diners. Let's Eat Bistro, Tel. 643377, on Kinnoull St, is a very classy establishment which provides a modern Scottish menu with Mediterranean influences, all meals cooked fresh to order. Open Tue-Sat 1200-1400, 1830-2130.

Its sister bistro, Let's Eat Again, Tel. 633771, is at 33 George St. Open the same hours but until 2145. Both are in the mid-range category.

No. 63, Tel. 441451, is a swish restaurant down by the river at 63 Tay Street which serves contemporary Scottish food. Open Tue-Sat 1200-1400, 1830-2100. Exceed Tel. 621189, at 65 South Methven St, has a more general menu but it's just as appetizing; as is the menu at Time Out, Tel. 567056, at 80 George St, close to the museum. For something a little more expensive, try The Seafood Restaurant , Tel. 449777, at 168 South St, which specializes in delicious fish and game. Paco's, Tel. 622290, 3-5 Mill St, has a more 'Tex-Mex' feel to it, serving fajitas, enchiladas, steaks and a fine line in chicken dishes, while also serving up a children's menu of burgers and pizzas. For a good cappucino or a panini try Caffe Canto Tel. 451938, a popular chic café at 62 George St.

Drinking

Of the pubs in town, The Auld Hoose, Tel. 624136, on the corner of South St and King Edward St, does a nice bar lunch; as does Mucky Mulligan's, Tel. 636705, at 97 Canal St.

Scaramouche, Tel. 637479, 103 South St, is a very popular bar; as is the Cherrybank, Tel. 624349, at 210 Glasgow Rd, where the bar lunches and suppers come very highly recommended.

Region

Travel Directions to Perth

Getting to Perth

Perth is easily accessible from almost anywhere in the country. It's only 1 hrs from Edinburgh or Glasgow, and half an hour from Dundee, by road, and on the main train lines to these cities, as well as on the main lines north to Aberdeen and Inverness. The train and bus stations are almost opposite each other at the west end of town, where Leonard St meets Kings Pl.

Getting around Perth

The town centre is very compact and lies on the western bank of the Tay, between 2 large parks; North Inch and South Inch. It's easy to get around on foot, but Scone Palace and many of the B&Bs are on the eastern bank of the river, so you may wish to take a bus. Local buses are run by Stagecoach, T629339. For a taxi service in Perth, call Ace Taxis, T633033. An enjoyable way to see the sights is to use the Guide Friday bus tour of Perth. Tour tickets are valid all day, so you can get on and off as often as you please and you can join the tour at various locations throughout the city. Tel. 0131-5562244 for more details, or contact the tourist office.

Stagecoach also runs a Sunday Vintage Bus Tour which takes in some of the key sights such as Scone Palace and Balhousie Castle (home to the Blackwatch Regiment). The bus runs every six minutes through July and August only between 1200 to 1725, £1.25, children £0.65).

Local Sights & Activities for Perth

A few minutes' walk north, on North Port, is the Fair Maid's House, the fictional home of Sir Walter Scott's virginal heroine in his novel, The Fair Maid of Perth. The novel was set in the 14th century, at the time of the Battle of the Clans which took place on the North Inch, just to the north, across Charlotte Street. Close by, at the corner of Charlotte Street and George Street, is the Museum and Art Gallery,T01738-632488, Mon-Sat 1000-1700, free, with displays on local history, art, archaeology, natural history and whisky.

In the 18th century the world-famous Black Watch regiment was raised in Perth, and the Black Watch Museum Hay St, T0131-3108530, May-Sep Mon-Sat 1000-1630, Oct-Apr Mon-Fri 1000-1530, free, housed in the 15th-century Balhousie Castle, is well worth a visit even to the most un-military minded. The museum is on the edge of the North Inch, to the north of the town centre. It's also worth perusing the work of the renowned Scottish colourist, John Duncan Fergusson, within the Fergusson GalleryT01738-441944, Mon-Sat 1000-1700, free, former site of Perth's waterworks.

May-Sep Mon-Sat 1000-1630, closed last Sat in Jun; Oct-Apr Mon-Fri 1000-1530. Free. Tel. 0131-310 8530. Back in the town centre, in West Mill Street is Lower City Mills (also home to the tourist office), a restored and working 19th-century oatmeal mill powered by a huge water wheel (closed to visitors at the time of writing).

Perth's other museum contains the excellent Fergusson Gallery, a display of works by the renowned Scottish colourist, John Duncan Fergusson. The gallery is found at the south end of Tay Street, near South Inch, in a splendid neo-classical building which was once Perth's waterworks. Mon-Sat 1000-1700. Free. TEl:441944.

Those with souvenirs to buy may be interested in a visit to the Caithness Glass factory, on Inveralmond Industrial Estate, two miles north of the town centre on the A9, where you can also watch the glass-blowing process. Easter-Oct Mon-Sat 0900-1700, Sun 1000-1700; Nov-Mar Mon-Sat 0900-1700, Sun 1200-1700. Free. TEl:492320.

For those with more horticultural leanings, Branklyn Garden, at 116 Dundee Road, T01738-625535 (NTS), 1 Apr-Oct daily 1000-1700, £5, £4 concession, has been described as "the finest two acres of private garden in the country". With an impressive collection of rare and unusual plants, it includes superb examples of Himalayan poppies. Well worth a visit at any time of year, many of the plants grown there are on sale in the shop.

Things To Do in Perth in Scotland

A short list of things to do in Perth, once Scotland's capital city and now a pleasant provincial city. The Fair City' of Perth is aptly named. Situated on the banks of Scotland's longest river, the River Tay, Perth and its surrounding area boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. Perth was once the capital of Scotland, and there are many interesting sights to visit (most of which are free). The jewel in Perth's crown, though, is undoubtedly Scone (pronounced 'scoon') Palace, on the outskirts of town. Scone was the home of the Stone of Destiny for nearly 500 years, and the site where every Scottish king was crowned.

The town makes a convenient and very pleasant base for exploring this beautiful Highland region. There are many colourful parks and historic buildings, excellent shopping opportunities and plenty of places to eat, drink and relax. Perth also has a proliferation of leisure and sporting facilities – and not many towns can boast a golf course on an island in the middle of a river.

The Visitor Guide to Perth in Perthshire here guides you on the Sports in Perth, which includes information on the activities done such as fishing, golf, walking, cycling, skiing etc.

For sports and leisure, Perth takes a bit of beating. Four sports centres in the city ensure there's no excuse for 'couch-potato' inactivity. Perth Leisure Pool, Tel. 492410, open daily 1000-2200, west of the town centre on the Glasgow Rd, claims to have the best leisure swimming pool in Scotland. Next door is Dewar's Rinks, Tel. 624188, where the visitor can curl, ice skate or bowl. Bell's Sports Centre, on Hay Street, Tel. 622301, open daily 0900-2200, covers virtually every sport and leisure activity imaginable.

Theatre

Perth Theatre, 185 High St, Tel. 621031, is a beautiful Victorian-era theatre with an excellent reputation for high-class productions. The Playhouse cinema at 6 Murray St, Tel. 623126, offers a dose of escapism on the big screen.

Clubbing

For the younger (and young at heart) traveller, there are 2 nightclubs in Perth: Curly Lloyd's at 40-48 Canal St, Tel. 630503; and the Ice Factory at 6 Shore Rd, Tel. 630011.

Festivals

The Perth Highland Games are held on the second Sun in Aug, Tel. 627782, on the same weekend as the Perth Show, which takes place on South Inch. There are also regular jump racing events during the summer at Perth Racecourse, near Scone Palace, Tel. 551597.

Game and Course Fishing

Scotland is famed for its superb fishing and Perth has more than its fair share of game and course fishing facilities. Too many, in fact, to detail here, so we'll mention just one, which is recommended: the Sandyknowes fly-fishery at Bridge of Earn, Tel. 813033, a few miles southeast of Perth. Located between the rivers Earn and Tay, there are facilities for the novice, right up to the most experienced angler with great fishing in a beautiful landscape. The season runs from Mar-Dec. Details of all the Perthshire fisheries are available from the Tourist Information Centre at West Mill Street.

Golf

Another sport Scotland is renowned for is golf, and Perth is particularly worthy of mention in this respect as it has a golf course in the middle of the River Tay! Moncrieff Island is worth playing a round on, if only to be able to tell your friends that the golfers don't shout 'fore' on this course, they shout 'ahoy there!' Details from the Tourist Information Centre, or contact King James VI Golf Club, Tel. 625170.

Walking, cycling and skiing

Perth is also well-placed for other outdoor activities such as walking, cycling and skiing. Glenshee ski centre is on the A93 north of Blairgowrie and is easily reached from Perth. The tourist office can provide suggested cycle routes, and stocks the Cycle Routes in Highland Perthshire booklet. For walkers, a recommended guidebook is Perthshire, Angus and Fife Walks, which details 28 routes.

Castles Nearby

Though not as impressive as Scone, Huntingtower Castle, three miles west of Perth on the A85 to Crieff, is well worth a visit. Huntingtower offers a peek into the past and holds many surprises for its visitors. Entry is either by a flight of steps from the courtyard that lead to the first floor of the Western Tower, or into the ground floor of the East Tower.

Local Visitor Attractions

Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park is a beautiful wooded area on the outskirts of the city. The trip to the top of Kinnoull Hill (783 ft) itself affords an astounding view across Perth, down to the Tay estuary and through Fife to the Lomond hills. To the north, the views stretch from Ben More in the west to Lochnagar in the northeast.

Enjoy a day at the farm and delicious local ice creams from dairy farm turned gelato maker. If you are travelling north on the A9 from Perth you can temporarily silence the bleat of Are we there yet...

Nearby Distilleries

Perth Hotels & Accommodation

Hotels

There are numerous places to stay in and around Perth. Pick of the bunch is the Ballathie House Hotel, at Kinclaven, near Stanley, 2 miles north of Perth, just off the A9, Tel. 01250-883268, 43 rooms. This elegant, award-winning 19th-century former hunting lodge has a reputation for superb Scottish cuisine (expensive). Late Rooms Availability for Ballathie House Hotel in Stanley, near Perth

B & Bs

There are plenty of B&Bs and guesthouses in town. You'll find lots of them along Dunkeld Rd, heading north out of town towards the A9, including: Almond Villa Guest House, No 51, Tel. 629356, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; Clark Kimberley, No 57-59, Tel. 637406; The Gables Guest House, No 24, Tel. /Fax. 624717, www.thegablesgh.co.uk; and Strathcona, No 45, Tel. 626185. There are also several places on Marshall Pl, which overlooks the South Inch, including the highly recommended Kinnaird Guest House, No 5, Tel. 6280121, Next door at No 6 is Marshall House, Tel. 442886. Perhaps the best place to look is Pitcullen Cres, on the A94 Coupar Angus road, where almost every house on the street offers B&B. The most recommended include Achnacarry Guest House, No 3, Tel. 621421; Adam Guest House, No 6, Tel/Fax. 627179; Clunie Guest House, No 12, Tel/Fax. 623625, ; and Pitcullen Guest House, No 17, Tel. 626506,

Cottages

Hotels near Perth

Featured

Springbank House - Top Flat, Perth is a 3-bedroomed upper apartment in a classic 3-storey sandstone villa with stunning views over the River Tay, 10 minutes walk to Perth city centre and easy access to the rest of Perthshire, the highlands, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Sleeps up to 6.

Springbank House - Garden Apartment, Perth is a 2 bedroom garden flat in a classic 3-storey sandstone villa with stunning views over the River Tay, 10 minutes walk to Perth city centre and easy access to the rest of Perthshire, the Highlands, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Sleeps up to 6 guests.

6 Family Run luxury renovated Coach Houses in a central location offering rural tranquillity amidst the beauty of Perthshire Tay Valley. 2 miles from Perth City Centre. Ideal base for travelling or relaxing and enjoying the scenic surroundings. Properties sleep 2 to 6.

Set amidst one of the most breathtaking and scenic views within Perthshires Tay Valley, these beautiful secluded properties nestle in the hillside above the historic 19th-century Kinfauns Castle, id...

A stunning apartment in the elegant and historic country town of Perth, within easy walking distance of superb shopping and restaurants, quaint pubs, beautiful parks with landscaped walks, theatre, ....

A stunning apartment situated in the elegant and historic country town of Perth, within easy walking distance of superb shopping and restaurants, quaint pubs, beautiful parks with landscaped walks, ....

A stunning apartment situated in the centre of the elegant and historic city of Perth and within easy walking distance of superb shopping and restaurants, quaint pubs, beautiful parks with landscaped ..

Only 3 miles from Perths excellent amenities and with access by footpath to historic Old Scone, this delightful holiday cottage has been superbly refurbished. Shown right in the photograph (with low...

Converted from the old stable buildings, this wonderful holiday cottage is bright, spacious and modern. The open-plan living area is set on the first floor taking full advantage of the seasonal views over ...

Boatland Lodge is a unique 19th century detached lodge house set in a secluded mature garden on the banks of the River Taym, a great place for relaxing and walking by the river. An ideal holiday base for explori...